Coolest High-Tech Roller Coasters

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There's no better season to twist and turn, go upside and plummet
almost to the ground on a roller coaster than the summer.

Nowadays, roller coasters aren’t the rickety thrill rides they
used to be. Newer ones are backed by dynamic, advanced computer
systems – and as the tech world speeds up, so does the intensity
of the rides.

In fact, Japan is introducing on Saturday (July 16) the world’s
steepest coaster at Fuji-Q Highland amusement park called
Takabisha – which means "domineering" in Japanese – and will toss
riders down 141 feet at about 62 miles an hour, with a 121-degree
free fall.

With the summer in full speed, TechNewsDaily takes a look at
other impressive high-tech coasters that are giving amusement
park goers across the globe the ride of their life.

The Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates, is the world's fastest roller coaster, reaching an
incredible speed of 150 mph. Riders sit within two
Ferrari F430 Spider vehicles sprint side by side toward the
finish line. With the help of a hydraulic launch system, the GT
roller coaster creates a similar velocity to what’s needed to
catapult fighter jets off airport carriers. Since it goes so
fast, those brave enough to sit in the front have to wear
protective glasses -- similar to what skydivers wear - to prevent
run-ins with airborne particles and insects. The shape of the
track was inspired by the famous Italian racetrack Autodromo
Nazionale Monza.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit; Orlando, Fla.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios in Orlando was not
just built with advanced technology, it’s infused into every
second of the ride. Blending user-generated content with
high-speed trains, riders pick their own music using touchpads
mounted on the lap bar. Songs from five music genres are pumped
through individual sound systems that rely on all-weather
speakers typically reserved for high-performance sports boats.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is also the only coaster in the world
with daytime
LED color-changing light s, with each ride vehicle featuring
36 different lights programmed to change color. The ride also
operates on a moving load platform, which means it uses a
people-mover-style conveyer belt to get guests to their vehicles
so riders and vehicles never come to a complete stop.

To remember the experience, the ride
features 14 cameras – six on-board each ride vehicle and
eight along the track – and lasers that trigger timing devices
and computers to record and capture the thrill for riders. The
video – which is then synced with their music selection – is
downloaded wirelessly from the ride vehicle to a viewing kiosk in
25 seconds, where people can purchase the edited version.

The Skycycle; Okayama, Japan

The Skycycle roller coaster at Washuzan Highland Park in Okayama,
Japan may not have upside down loops and past-vertical drops, but
that doesn't mean it's not terrifying. Riders board side-by-side
carts that rely on old fashion foot-powered tech. That's right,
the carts move by pedaling your way along the track – taking
roller coasters to a whole
new green level.

Kingda Ka; Jackson, New Jersey

Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey was
the world’s fastest roller coaster until Formula Rossa opened
last year. It's still the fastest in North America. Kingda Ka is
launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism that makes it fly 128
miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds, catapulting riders a whopping
45 stories in the air before plunging them vertically into a
270-degree spiral.

This steel roller coaster at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania covers
more than 2,700 feet of track in just 85 seconds and features a
steep 97-degree drop. The ride flies at acceleration of 4G, which
is more than astronauts undergo at the launch of a space shuttle
mission. Fahrenheit 97 was designed with high-tech engineering
tools,
state-of-the art computers and materials such as
carbon-fiber, which reduced the pressure on support structures
and allowed designers to get creative with design. The software
Fahrenheit 97 uses is also used by some companies such as Boeing
to build planes.

To test the roller coaster before it debuted in 2008, a crash
test dummy named Fred – which is flown nationwide to test various
roller coasters – was used to determine whether or not Farenheit
97 intensity was safe for riders. Fred is armed with sensors that
measure and record neck movement and provide designers with
information about safety.

Eejanaika; Fuji-Q Highland

The Eejanaika roller coaster – which is also located at Fuji-Q
Highland park in Japan – is the world’s second-ever steel 4-D
roller coaster behind X at Six Flags Magic Mountain in
California. The 4-D roller coaster features a sleek design that
allows the seats to rotate forward and backward up to 360-degrees
while in a spin. To do so, there are four rails on the track –
two are for running rails and two are for spin control. The
Guinness Book of World Records states that it has the most
inversions (14) in the world.